Two women involved in a “disgusting and sadistic” global monkey torture network have been jailed for encouraging crimes committed abroad.

Adriana Orme and Holly LeGresley pleaded guilty to sharing sexually explicit images and videos shot in Indonesia.

Worcester Crown Court was told Orme and LeGresley wrote online messages making light of and endorsing torture, which a judge described as “depraved, sickening and evil”.

Both women were arrested following a year-long investigation by the BBC and a police investigation supported by Action for Primates, a UK-based conservation group.

Judge James Burbidge KC was told the defendants were both members of a private chat group run by an administrator known in the US as the “Torture King”.

LeGresley, of Baldwin Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, admitted uploading 22 images and 132 videos of monkeys being tortured to online chat groups between March 25 and May 8, 2022, and making payments to his PayPal account on April 25 to promote the cruelty. same year.

The 37-year-old, described as the archivist of the “monkey haters” group, was sentenced to two years in prison.

Dutch-born Orme, 56, pleaded guilty in August to publishing an obscene article by uploading an image and 26 videos depicting monkey torture between April 14 and June 16, 2022, and promoting or aiding unnecessary suffering by donating £10. Payment to PayPal account on April 26, 2022.

Orme, a mother-of-three of The Beeches, Ryall, near Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Burbidge said he was left “almost in disbelief” by the evidence.

While Orme was shaking in the dock throughout the hearing, LeGresley told the judge she was sorry and then asked for a glass of water and was given it.

The judge told the defendants: “These offenses represent a course of conduct on the part of both of you that can only be described as depraved, disgusting and evil.

“You entered online chat rooms using the comfort of your home.

“Perhaps in that environment you stopped using your senses and truly knowing reality; unfortunately some people seem to do this when interacting with others online.

“What drives you two women of good character and some intelligence to participate in such a forum is beyond the comprehension of any sensible member of society.

“It is incomprehensible why such a forum even exists and is a sad indictment of humanity. “You encouraged the physical torture of monkeys by others and disseminated videos of such torture and abuse.”

Detective Chief Inspector Ben Arrowsmith, who is leading the West Mercia Police investigation, said outside court after the case: “This is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing cases my team and I have worked on.

“The defendants’ hatred and perverted admiration for the cruelty and abuse of monkeys is incomprehensible. It’s impossible to understand how anyone finds it enjoyable to watch and be a part of.

“This is the first time in British legal history that animal cruelty charges have been brought under the Serious Crime Act 2007 for cruelty that took place abroad but the offenders were in the UK, making this a landmark case.

“I am pleased that LeGresley and Orme will now face justice for their roles in this disgusting and despicable atrocity.”

Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, who played a key role in providing evidence in this case, said: “We are extremely grateful to West Mercia Police, the National Wildlife Crime Squad and the National Crime Agency for taking action against Orme and LeGresley.” I am grateful for their role in facilitating the torture and killing of baby monkeys.

“The lack of empathy shown by both women for the horror and suffering of the monkeys, some only a few days old, is deeply disturbing and paying someone to commit this type of violence is unconscionable. “The depravity displayed by members of these online monkey torture groups is utterly appalling.”

He added: “We hope that these sentences will deter others from participating in these perverted and sadistic activities.”